


Reunited

by agentexmachina



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Captain America: The First Avenger, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Hugs, Kissing, M/M, Post-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 15:10:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15099362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentexmachina/pseuds/agentexmachina
Summary: Steve and Bucky spend some time together after Steve rescued Bucky from the Red Skull's clutches.





	Reunited

For the first time since Steve had saved Bucky from HYDRA’s grasp, they are alone. Only a few hours are left before the sun will rise and they will have to return to the base, Bucky to his comrades and Steve to the USO girls. They will pretend nothing had happened, that they were still the same people they were before war. Good friends, nothing more. Had this ever been true? 

Therefore, these few hours are so important, yet they just sit on the wet grass, legs crossed and facing each other, hesitant and indecisive. The truth is, much has changed. Neither of them is the same anymore, physically and mentally. Bucky has seen the horrors of war and Steve is still trying to find his way in an unfamiliar body. Both of them have lost part of their identity. If your appearance, which was the reason you had to fight so much to be accepted, suddenly changes, how much of you is left anymore? If you were always known for your handsomeness and your charming ways, what do you do when you are stripped of these traits, just a soldier like the others now, suddenly naked and unprotected?

Bucky moves first, tentatively reaching out for Steve’s hand. Only when their hands are millimetres apart, he pauses. His voice is almost inaudible when he asks: “Can I touch you?”

“Sure,” Steve breathes and the word is carried away by the wind.

Gently, Bucky takes Steve’s hand in his and brings it to his lips.

Bucky's kisses are light and soft as he works his way up Steve's arm from his fingertips to the palm of his hand to his wrist. Steve's fingers are weirdly soft, not calloused, as one might expect, from throwing the shield in battle. The softness is familiar and Bucky feels some of the tension drain from his body. This new, 'improved' Steve might look different but his hands are still as gentle as they always were, and Bucky leans into Steve's touch when he lets his fingers run over Bucky’s jawline, tenderly. 

Steve's lifelines are also the same, which Bucky knows with certainty because he still remembers the day when a fair had been held in Brooklyn and Steve had spent all of his money on a fortune teller. Bucky had mocked him for his superstitiousness, but secretly he had been just as curious about Steve's future. Although he would not have admitted it, he cared about the part he would play in it. The line that promises Steve a deep, albeit unconventional love is still there. Bucky had always hoped that he would be this love. 

With utmost care, Bucky’s lips navigate over Steve's wrist, hovering for only a moment before he presses a kiss on Steve’s pulse point, feeling warmth spread over his lips. If his lips stayed there longer, he assumes, he would feel Steve's heartbeat, stronger now, hopefully, and more steady. Another kiss, and Steve visibly lowers his guard, his fingers unclench and he releases a breath that tickles Bucky's neck. Some time has passed since he has allowed another person to touch him at a place this vulnerable. Even if he had, it did not feel right. The only one who could touch him without prompting a defensive reaction had always been Bucky. Steve’s heart sinks with sadness as he realizes how distant they have grown over the past few months. As if Bucky can feel Steve’s melancholy, he lets his lips trail up Steve's forearm, leaving behind dozens of small kisses. He notices that the almost invisible freckles that used to cover Steve's skin have disappeared and were replaced by even, marble-like skin, but Bucky realizes that he does not love these differences any less. They mean that Steve is healthy now, and that he will live a long life, something he could not have dreamed of when he was a sick child. Yet, these changes also make Bucky feel uncertainty rise up in his chest. If Steve's future is different, Bucky's role might also have changed, assuming he was destined to be a part of Steve's life to begin with. The thought quickly fades as Bucky’s lips explore the muscles coiled tightly under Steve’s skin. He attempts to ease the tension with soft kisses and soon feels Steve relax slightly. Short, blond hair tickles Bucky’s nose and almost make him sneeze, but the feeling dissolves as he nudges his nose against Steve’s skin and breathes in deeply. Steve still smells of the USO uniform, of leather gloves and synthetic dye and sweat. A slight tremble tells Bucky that Steve is holding back a laugh and he smiles. Bucky has always had a sensitive nose and Steve used to make fun of him for it. At least some things have not changed. 

Over the inside of Steve’s elbow, he lingers for a few seconds, letting his lips caress the sensitive and vulnerable area, the thin layer of skin over Steve’s veins, that had once been covered in tiny scars because of the many times Steve's blood had to be tested, before the serum. His skin is smooth now and no scar has remained to prove how much Steve has fought and struggled. As Bucky kisses Steve’s biceps, he suddenly feels relieved. After years of worrying about Steve - although he knew that his worry was unwanted - he can finally be sure that when Steve gets into a fight now, he will win. He won’t have to worry about Steve being beaten up anymore, won’t have to think about Steve carrying himself home, bloody and bruised, and shoving Bucky’s erratically moving hands out of the way, because the strength of Steve’s body now matches his willpower and stubbornness. Almost involuntarily, Steve flexes his muscles and Bucky grins. Apparently, Steve is getting used to his new body and Bucky touching him like he used to is certainly not damaging his ego. 

Bucky presses one last kiss on Steve’s shoulder and then nuzzles his face against Steve’s neck. He pushes Steve softly and Steve moves with the motion, falling backwards in the grass and cradling Bucky in his arms. Bucky’s laughter is muffled by the fabric of Steve’s shirt and the low rumble in Steve’s chest makes Bucky’s entire body vibrate, which feels weird and unfamiliar but also incredibly good. 

“I missed you,” Bucky mumbles and hugs Steve more tightly.

“I missed you too, Buck,” Steve responds and Bucky feels his chest swell with happiness.

They continue to lie on the ground, hugging, until the sun rises and they have to return to the base, before anyone begins to wonder where they might have been.


End file.
